1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an absorbent article for absorbing body fluids and exudates, such as urine and fecal material. More particularly, the present invention relates to absorbent garments, such as disposable diapers and adult incontinence garments, which include a fit panel for improved fit and performance.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional absorbent articles, such as disposable diapers, employ an absorbent chassis assembly which generally includes absorbent materials located between a liquid pervious topsheet and a liquid impermeable backsheet to absorb body exudates. Such conventional absorbent articles have typically included elasticized waistbands and leg cuffs connected to the absorbent chassis assembly to help reduce the leakage of body exudates. Generally, the waistbands and leg cuffs on conventional absorbent articles have been elasticized by employing strands of elastic which have been elongated and attached to the desired region of the article. Some conventional absorbent articles have also included elasticized containment or barrier flaps at the leg or waist sections of the article to further reduce leaks.
Such containment flaps have typically included at least one strand of elastic along the free edge of the flap to maintain the free edge in a spaced apart relationship from the topsheet of the article. Conventional absorbent articles have also included elasticized fastening systems which have been connected to the side edges of the absorbent chassis of the article in one of the waist sections.
However, conventional absorbent articles which incorporate elasticized waistbands or flaps at their waist sections and elasticized fastening systems have not been completely satisfactory. For example, typical waistbands which include elastic strands attached to the waist section of the article in an elongated condition have unduly restricted the movement of the absorbent chassis with respect to the elasticized portions. Such elastic waistbands have undesirably prevented the expansion of the absorbent chassis to receive and contain body exudates. Such waistbands have also generally been narrow, laterally extending strands or strips which have resulted in redmarking and irritation of the wearer""s skin. In addition, the narrow waistbands have not always provided a reliable sealing surface with the wearer""s body resulting in leakage.
Moreover, the containment or barrier flaps at the waist sections of conventional absorbent articles have typically been constructed for the purpose of creating a pocket for containing body exudates. Thus, such flaps generally have not been designed to provide a comfortable and contouring fit and appearance of the article on the wearer. As a result, some conventional absorbent articles utilizing such flaps have undesirably sagged, gapped or drooped during use due to the movements of the wearer and the downward forces exerted when the article is loaded with body exudates. This sagging and drooping has lead to increased leakage and poor fit of the absorbent article about the waist of the wearer.
Further, although the elasticized fastening systems used on conventional absorbent articles have improved the fit of the article about the wearer, such systems have typically not been tied in or connected to the elasticized waistbands and flaps. Thus, the forces exerted on the fastening system have not been efficiently transferred and distributed laterally across the waist section of the diaper along a wide band. As a result, the fit and containment of conventional absorbent articles have not been completely satisfactory. Accordingly, there remains a need for improved fit and containment at the waist sections of absorbent articles.
In response to the difficulties and problems discussed above, a new disposable absorbent article which has a fit panel has been discovered.
In one aspect, the present invention relates to an absorbent article having an absorbent chassis which defines a front waist section, a rear waist section, an intermediate section which interconnects the front and rear waist sections, a pair of longitudinally opposed end edges, and a pair of laterally opposed side edges. The absorbent article comprises at least one fit panel attached to said absorbent chassis which defines a waist edge which is superposed adjacent one of the end edges of the absorbent chassis, a pair of laterally opposed outboard edges which are located laterally beyond both of the side edges of the absorbent chassis, and a second edge which is located longitudinally inward from the end edge of the absorbent chassis and which remains at least partially unattached to the waist section of the absorbent chassis. At least a portion of the total panel width and total length of the fit panel remains at least partially unattached to the absorbent chassis between the side edges of the absorbent chassis thereby defining an unattached width. The unattached width is at least about 10 percent of the width of the absorbent chassis. In a particular embodiment, the fit panel remains unattached to the absorbent chassis between said side edges of said absorbent chassis along an unattached width of at least about 10 percent of a width of the absorbent chassis. In another particular embodiment, the fit panel is attached to the absorbent chassis along a lateral attachment zone which is located a distance of from about 0.5 to about 4.0 centimeters longitudinally inward from the end edge of the absorbent chassis.
In another aspect, the present invention relates to an absorbent article having an absorbent chassis which defines a front waist section, a rear waist section, an intermediate section which interconnects the front and rear waist sections, a pair of longitudinally opposed end edges, and a pair of laterally opposed side edges. The absorbent article comprises at least one fit panel which is located in one of the waist sections of the absorbent chassis adjacent the end edge of the absorbent chassis and which extends laterally beyond the side edges of the absorbent chassis. The fit panel comprises a center bridge panel and a pair of laterally opposed side panels which are connected to opposed lateral edges of the bridge panel and which are connected to and extend laterally beyond the side edges of the absorbent chassis. The bridge panel defines a width which is from about 10 to about 90 percent of a width of the absorbent chassis.
In yet another aspect, the present invention relates to an absorbent article having a front waist section, a rear waist section, and an intermediate section which interconnects the front and rear waist sections. The article comprises a backsheet layer, a liquid permeable topsheet layer which is connected in superposed relation to the backsheet layer, an absorbent body and at least one elastomeric fit panel. The absorbent body is located between the topsheet layer and the backsheet layer. A combination of the backsheet layer, the topsheet layer, and the absorbent body define an absorbent chassis which includes an outer perimeter defined by a pair of longitudinally opposed end edges and a pair of laterally opposed side edges. The elastomeric fit panel is connected to the topsheet in one of the waist sections of the absorbent article. The fit panel defines a waist edge which is superposed adjacent the respective end edge of the absorbent chassis, a pair of laterally opposed outboard edges which are located laterally beyond the side edges and the outer perimeter of the absorbent chassis, and a second edge which is located longitudinally inward from the end edge of the absorbent chassis and which remains at least partially unattached to the topsheet of the absorbent article. At least a portion of the total panel width and total length of the fit panel remains at least partially unattached to the absorbent chassis between the side edges of the absorbent chassis thereby defining an unattached width. The unattached width is at least about 10 percent of the width of the absorbent chassis. In a particular embodiment, the elastomeric fit panel extends laterally beyond each of the side edges of the absorbent chassis a distance of at least about 0.5 centimeters.
The various aspects of the present invention can advantageously provide an absorbent article having a more comfortable and contouring fit and appearance about the waist of the wearer.